The town's first female sergeant has been demoted to patrolman in connection with two crashes and a patrolman has been fired for not cooperating with an internal investigation of the accidents.

Rich Harbert rharbert@wickedlocal.com @richharbertOCM

PLYMOUTH – One local police officer has been demoted and another fired in the wake of two off-duty motor vehicle accidents in February.

Officer Laura Lincoln, the department’s first female sergeant, agreed late last month to a demotion in rank to patrolman and an undisclosed suspension in connection with her Feb. 7 crashes on a highway exit ramp and at a downtown intersection.

Officer Jeremy Sullivan was fired Thursday for not cooperating with an internal investigation of the accidents.

Lincoln could still face criminal charges in connection with the accidents. She has requested a hearing before a clerk magistrate to determine if there is probable cause to charge her with leaving the scene of an accident and driving to endanger.

Lincoln allegedly fled the scene of a minor accident after exiting Route 3 at Samoset Street that Friday night. She then rear-ended another vehicle at Sandwich and Lincoln streets.

Police in Kingston had earlier received a report that Lincoln’s vehicle was being operated erratically in their town as well, but no Kingston officers had contact with the vehicle.

Botieri said he continues to have concerns about what happened that night and why Lincoln was never given a sobriety test.

“Officers at the scene reported they did not see any reason to, but I wish they conducted a field sobriety test,” Botieri said.

The other driver in the second crash, a 72-year-old Middleborough woman, was treated after the incident at BID-Plymouth hospital. Lincoln was not treated at the hospital. Botieri said she was driven home, instead, and later was examined by a doctor.

Botieri would not comment on Sullivan’s specific role in the investigation.

Like Lincoln, Sullivan was off duty at the time of the incident. Botieri said Sullivan is Lincoln’s boyfriend and the two officers share a home.

He said both officers’ past records played major factors in their discipline.

Lincoln, a 12-year veteran of the department, was promoted to sergeant in October 2010. She worked as a midnight shift supervisor.

She took responsibility for her conduct and agreed to the demotion and suspension, Botieri said.

Sullivan’s prior record was a major factor in his firing, Botieri said. A 10-year veteran of the department, Sullivan was fired in January 2012 after he was accused of assaulting a disc jockey outside a downtown bar while off duty.

He was cleared of the charges by a District Court jury last winter and was reinstated to the department last May.

Botieri described Lincoln’s suspension as “lengthy” but said it would be spread out over several months.

Botieri said he remains frustrated by how the incident was handled and is “still interviewing people from that night to fine tune what happened.

“I have specific rules I have to follow, and we’re doing the best we can within those rules,” Botieri said.